Birth Rights, Sovereignty and the System
Women in Australia are facing a pivotal moment in birth autonomy. Recent calls for national legislation by professional bodies would restrict anyone outside the registered medical system from supporting labour and birth, a move presented as protecting safety and standards. Yet this approach conflicts with international human rights principles that affirm a woman’s right to choose where, how, and with whom she births. As more women turn to sovereign or freebirth—whether due to past trauma or a deep trust in their own bodies—new restrictions risk narrowing choice rather than expanding it. Without a national bill of rights, Australian law can override human rights frameworks, making public awareness and advocacy essential. Other countries, including New Zealand, the Netherlands, and the UK, demonstrate that birth can remain legally grounded in a woman’s autonomy. Change will come not from fighting the system, but from women standing firmly in their truth, knowing that birth, body, and decisions belong to them.
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Remembering the Sacred Feminine: The Rite of Passage into Motherhood
Motherhood is one of the greatest initiations a woman will ever walk through, yet in our culture this profound transformation goes unrecognised. We are pushed to “bounce back,” to return to who we were before, instead of honouring the rite of passage of matrescence. In this piece, I explore why motherhood is a rite of passage and how simple rituals can bring grounding, meaning and sacredness back into this journey.
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From Midwife to Birth Keeper: My Journey in Birth Work
As a teen, I witnessed my first birth. This is the story of how that moment, and the journey that followed, led me to become a birth worker who honours women’s wisdom, choice, sovereignty, and the scared power of birth.
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